12 Times American Football Crossed Over Into Wrestling

WCW saw a number of unlikely champions put on ridiculous athletic gear in an attempt not only to suck up to the fans of the local teams, but to protect themselves in the most over-the-top manner possible.

'Screamin’ Norman Smiley would wear the uniforms (and protective gear) of all sorts of pro sports teams throughout his run in WCW’s hardcore division, but he was perhaps most effective (and comical) wearing an NFL uniform as an excuse to smuggle in full shoulder pads. The English-born wrestler wasn’t fooling anyone with his ostensible American football fandom, but he did manage to use the cumbersome gear to his advantage, absorbing chops from Meng and weapons shots from the likes of Brian Knobbs and Fit Finlay.

Upping the absurdity by a factor of 100, WCW writer and decided non-athlete Vince Russo also adopted the practice of wearing the uniforms of sports he’d never played just to avoid getting killed in the ring. After donning a number of hockey jerseys and helmets, Vinnie Ru sported a full New York Giants football uniform, complete with shoulder pads and headgear, to challenge Booker T for the WCW Title in a cage match.

As if recalling an old George Carlin comedy bit, the head writer looked like a perfect moron wearing this gear off the field, yet he somehow managed to win the once-prestigious heavyweight championship in his hometown of Long Island due to a misguided Goldberg spear through the cage wall.